The wreck floats for first time in two years
Two and a half years after the Costa Concordia capsized off the island of Giglio the Concordia refloating operations have started regularly. The Concordia wreck will be refloated of about 2 meters and then towed 30 meters to the East.
Updates:
At 6.00 am the Senior Salvage Master, Nick Sloane, reached the Remote Operations Center located on the Concordia with the rest of the team.
With the arrival of the ferry at 8.30 am the final phase of the lightening of the wreck has begun. Only less then 1,000 tonnes of weight remain, out of the initial 30,000 tonnes; as soon as this step is completed, the wreck can be lifted off the platforms. In a first stage, this will happen in the stern area.
At 12.00 the Concordias stern and bow were detached from the false sea bed by about 1 meter. The wreck is floating thanks to the sponsons. Before being towed 30 meters East, the Concordia will need to be refloated of another meter. Technicians have now begun to tighten the chains on starboard sponson S14, as planned.
| Refloating operation plan |
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During the first stage, the Concordia will be refloated about 2 meters up off the platforms and moved 30 meters towards the east with the assistance of tugs. The ship will then be securely moored and technicians will be able to complete the attachment and tensioning of the last cables and chains, and to lower the starboard sponsons to their final position. The actual refloating will then begin, raising the ship one deck at a time, from deck 6 to deck 3. The whole operation is expected to take about 6 or 7 days to complete. The departure of the Concordia from Giglio is currently scheduled for July 21. |
Source and Image Credit: www.theparbucklingproject.com
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Further information on the refloating operation may be found by reading the following articles: Video –Costa Concordia underwater footage Reuters –Operation begins to refloat wrecked Costa Concordia BBC News –Costa Concordia wreck raised from under-sea platform The Telegraph –Costa Concordia floats for first time in two years as salvage operation begins Huffington Post –Costa Concordia Refloat Operation For Capsized Ocean Liner Underway (PICTURES) |
